Archive:Domesday Book

Overview

Domesday Book (also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester), was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William the Conqueror. The survey was similar to a census by a government of today. William needed information about the country he had just conquered so he could administer it. While spending the Christmas of 1085 in Gloucester, William "had deep speech with his counsellors and sent men all over England to each shire ... to find out ... what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock, and what it was worth." One of the main purposes of the survey was to find out who owned what so they could be taxed on it, and the judgment of the assessors was final — whatever the book said about who owned the property, or what it was worth, was the law, and there was no appeal. It was written in Latin, although there were some vernacular words inserted for native terms with no previous Latin equivalent and the text was highly abbreviated. When the book took the name "Domesday" (Middle English spelling of Doomsday) in the 12th century, it was to emphasize its definitiveness and authority (the analogy refers to the Christian belief of a Last Judgment).^[1]

Specific Entries

Several entries pertain to the ancestors of the Whitneys and to the regions they would later inhabit.

Whitney

Great Domesday Book Folio 181r

IN ELSDON HUNDRED

The king holds WHITNEY. Alweard held it TRE, and could go where he would. There is half a hide paying geld. It was and is waste.

Great Domesday Book Folio 182v

IN ELSDON HUNDRED

The church itself holds WHITNEY, and Harold [holds] of it. There are 4 hides paying geld. They are and were waste; yet they render 6s.

Wigmore

Great Domesday Book Folio 183v

IX. THE LAND OF RALPH DE MORTIMER

IN "HEZETRE" HUNDRED

RALPH de Mortimer holds WIGMORE Castle. Earl William erected it on the waste land which is called "MERESTUN" [in Wigmore], which Gunnfrothr held TRE. There are 2 hides paying geld. In demesne Ralph has 2 ploughs and 4 slaves. The borough which is there renders 7l.

IN "HEZETRE" HUNDRED

The same Ralph holds DOWNTON ON THE ROCK , and Oidelard [holds] of him. Almær and Ulfkil held it as 2 manors and could go where they would. There are 4 hides. 2 of them do not pay geld. In demesne are 2 ploughs; and 3 villans and 3 bordars with half a plough. There are 6 slaves, and a fishery, [and] woodland half a league long and 5 furlongs broad. There are 2 enclosures. It was worth 30s ; now as much. This land Earl William gave to Turstin the Fleming.

References

1. Wikipedia contributors. Domesday Book. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 18, 2006, 23:17 UTC. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Domesday_Book&oldid=88701470. Accessed November 18, 2006.